The End of Thankfulness...Or Just the Beginning?
If you don’t know Chris, you might not know that he loves Mexican food. I would say it’s fourth on his list of loves: God, me, his kids, Mexican food. (Notice I didn’t actually ask him for his list, I just took the liberty of making it and putting myself second.) Turkey is not at the top of the list, so his mama did what sweet mamas do and got him his requested tamales for Thanksgiving. I suppose that would put her above the actual tamales on the list. (Note: I am not a sweet mama and would just make my kids eat what I slaved away to fix them. I'm thinking I might not make their top ten.)
The irony of it all is that as Chris shared his tamale dinner story with a Mexican student of his today, that student said that he had tamales on Thanksgiving, too. However, he was very disappointed in the menu as he has to eat tamales all the time and was hoping for some traditional American food on a traditional American holiday.This is nothing less than a prime example of the truth in the phrase: One man’s turkey is another man’s tamale. Or something like that.
My mother-in-law is quite the hostess. She made sugar cookies in the shape of turkeys, fully decorated and iced with the name of each child, to double as their dessert and their placecards. She also tried her hand at homemade ice cream sandwiches as a fun treat for the kids. My fun treat was sitting around being lazy for three days straight. Really, she puts my hostessing skills to shame, but that doesn't take a whole lot as I pretty much stink at it. If I remember to put a new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, it's a miracle.
It's easy to be thankful when there's so much to be thankful for. Well, at least it would seem that way. But sometimes it seems that I, along with many other Americans, am one of the whiniest people around. Having been inspired by a friend of mine and her thankful heart, I am seeking to make gratitude a regular part of my life. As the "season of thankfulness" draws to a close, I hope that seeking something to be grateful for everyday has become more of a habit for me. So, whether we're eating turkey or tamales, let's just be thankful for food. And, when we have nothing, we can be thankful that man does not live on bread alone, but on the very Word of God. Amen.
The irony of it all is that as Chris shared his tamale dinner story with a Mexican student of his today, that student said that he had tamales on Thanksgiving, too. However, he was very disappointed in the menu as he has to eat tamales all the time and was hoping for some traditional American food on a traditional American holiday.This is nothing less than a prime example of the truth in the phrase: One man’s turkey is another man’s tamale. Or something like that.
My mother-in-law is quite the hostess. She made sugar cookies in the shape of turkeys, fully decorated and iced with the name of each child, to double as their dessert and their placecards. She also tried her hand at homemade ice cream sandwiches as a fun treat for the kids. My fun treat was sitting around being lazy for three days straight. Really, she puts my hostessing skills to shame, but that doesn't take a whole lot as I pretty much stink at it. If I remember to put a new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, it's a miracle.
It's easy to be thankful when there's so much to be thankful for. Well, at least it would seem that way. But sometimes it seems that I, along with many other Americans, am one of the whiniest people around. Having been inspired by a friend of mine and her thankful heart, I am seeking to make gratitude a regular part of my life. As the "season of thankfulness" draws to a close, I hope that seeking something to be grateful for everyday has become more of a habit for me. So, whether we're eating turkey or tamales, let's just be thankful for food. And, when we have nothing, we can be thankful that man does not live on bread alone, but on the very Word of God. Amen.
Amen Amy!
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